Beijing -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Han Junqian does n't go outside very often . From 9:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. , six days a week , the 50-year-old massage therapist works out of a dingy parlor in Beijing 's Xicheng District . There 's no commute as Han lives on site . On his day off he spends his time indoors . He goes outside primarily to buy groceries , or visit the bank .

`` Sometimes it makes me depressed , '' said Han when reflecting on his condition .

Han is blind , and his life is similar to the roughly 120,000 blind massage therapists in China today , according to a 2012 report by Changchun University . After he lost his sight at the age of 15 , he did n't have many educational or employment opportunities outside the massage industry .

But that may be changing .

China 's Ministry of Education decided to provide Braille or electronic versions of this June 's `` gaokao , '' China 's brutally competitive national college entrance exams , effectively opening the door for blind citizens to access higher education .

While the move is hailed as a breakthrough by many human rights groups , some critics caution that the proof will only be in its implementation , and that much more needs to be done to improve the lives of the disabled .

Stephen Hallett , founder of non-profit organization China Vision , has been working on disability issues in and around China since the 1990s . He was unimpressed by the new blind-friendly exams .

`` It 's fairly meaningless , '' said Hallett .

The root of Hallett 's skepticism lies in the spotty record of the Chinese government in enforcing its directives over the entire country . Particularly in China 's rural areas , a lack of resources and a lack of political will have often undermined efforts to help blind people in the past .

A world apart

China has the largest population of blind people in the world , according to the World Health Organization . When they are educated at all , blind people are shoved into segregated schools that are isolated from the rest of society . Higher education exists only in the form of a few specialized universities where the only majors offered are massage therapy and music .

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities , China agreed to the principle of `` an inclusive education system at all levels , '' yet critics on the ground say the situation in practice is profoundly different .

The exclusion of the blind from mainstream society , and the social attitudes it has fostered , has resulted in a rippling effect of adverse consequences .

`` It 's a kind of apartheid , '' said Hallett .

Many Chinese who are born blind are simply abandoned by parents unwilling to incur the costs of raising them . For those that lose their vision later in life , the transfer to special schools typically results in the loss of sighted friends and acquaintances .

Since the career paths of the students are all but predestined , the curriculum at blind schools are often not as rigorous .

`` We 're not required to finish everything , '' said Ni Zhen , a former student of the Qingdao School for the Blind . `` I do n't really think society has expectations from people with disabilities . ''

Since the blind have virtually no other employment options , they are often exploited by employers who pay meager wages . One study by the Guangzhou Disabled Career Training Center found that intermediate level blind massage therapists in that city made between RMB 1200 and 3000 a month -LRB- around $ 191 to 479 -RRB- , a figure far lower than sighted counterparts .

Zhou Yuewen , a 63-year-old blind therapist from Hebei says he thinks he gives a better massage than a sighted masseur : `` It 's very hard for blind people to get a job , so we are more likely to cherish the work we do . ''

Future vision

China 's semi-official organ for dealing with blindness is the China Association of the Blind , and they are forthright about the scale of the problem that blind Chinese face .

`` It 's not fair that blind people have so few opportunities , '' said an official from the association who requested anonymity . `` The problem is that massage is the quickest way for blind people to get a job . ''

The association defended the use of blind schools as a matter of practical necessity and insisted that it would be impossible to train teachers in mainstream schools to deal with the volume of China 's visually impaired students . They also pointed to the new regulations by the Ministry of Education as proof that they had achieved results .

The association , however , offered no solution to the problem of implementation that Hallett and others cited as crucial to the success of the new regulations .

Whether it 's a success or not , the matter is ultimately moot for many , including Han Junqian . With his best years behind him , Han has no plans to sit for the `` gaokao , '' even if it is made available .

`` It 's a pity that it did n't come out earlier , '' he said . `` I have forgotten everything . ''

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Blind people have few opportunities in China and most become massage therapists

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To get into college in China , one must pass the `` gaokao , '' which will be offered in Braille this June

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Critics say the Braille exam is `` fairly meaningless ''